Inside the PD: Butler, Warwick show up in Week 9

Rewinding Week Nine in the Peninsula District, in which Hampton and Phoebus had their little tune-ups, Heritage took a huge slip, and Warwick finally showed up (albeit nine weeks late).

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Josh Butler, Warwick. After eight weeks of what had been a frustrating senior season, Butler had 262 all-purpose yards in the Raiders’ 35-14 win over Heritage. Butler rushed for 143, passed for 46, and returned a kickoff for 73. (Actually, he returned the kickoff for a 90-yard touchdown, but he lost the last 17 because a block in the back penalty).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Daunte Wilson, Hampton. The Crabbers’ middle linebacker had eight tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage, in a 49-0 rout of Kecoughtan. It was Hampton’s fifth consecutive shutout, which the Crabbers hadn’t happened since 1984.

Others of note: Bethel DL Ricky Walker (5 TFL).

SANDY HAVOC. Hampton schools were closed Monday, and that meant no extra-curricular activities. That included football practice. So at best, Hampton and Phoebus will have two days of preparation for Thursday night’s game at Darling Stadium.

CRUSHING BLOW. If you’re Heritage, Warwick couldn’t have picked a worse time to finally play a complete game Thursday night. The Hurricanes ended up on the wrong end of a 21-point loss, which leaves their playoff scenario less promising than it was a week ago.

It’s tough to calculate now because there are some Eastern District games that were washed out and have been rescheduled for Tuesday. But as of now, it appears Heritage has slipped to seventh.

ROSCOE P. COLETRANE. That’s Hampton coach Mike Smith’s nickname for Hale, who has been something of a recent discovery — at least to outsiders. After seven games, he had rushed for 212 yards on 33 carries. But in the last two weeks, he has 267 yards on 15 attempts with four touchdowns.

RUSHING UPDATE. Heritage’s Khalid Abdullah remains the district leader heading into Week 10 with 1,390 yards. Phoebus’ Tony Pittman is next (despite missing two games) with 1,286, and Kecoughtan’s Trenton Cannon is third at 1,270.

Either Hampton’s Marshawn Williams (939) or Gloucester’s James Scott (942) should be next to crack 1,000.

THIS WEEK: The biggie, obviously, is Hampton vs. Phoebus on Thursday night. The winner will do no worse than the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Region Division 5 and open at Darling Stadium. The loser will likely be No. 3 and host its quarterfinal game at Todd.

Bethel might have a slight chance of hosting in the first round, but it must beat Woodside in Thursday’s finale (and get a lot of help across the water). Heritage absolutely has to beat Denbigh Friday to remain in the picture.